1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to a construction for an instrument panel of an automotive vehicle. Specifically, the invention relates to an automotive instrument panel arrangment in which separation of components is assured with fewer parts and lower weight.
2. Description of The Prior Art
In modern automotive vehicles, air bag units are a commonly employed safety feature. Recently it has become practice to provide such an air bag unit in a portion of a vehicle instrument panel on the passenger side of the vehicle interior compartment. Such passenger side air bag arrangements are disclosed for example in Japanese Patent Application (first publication) 2-303952 and Japanese Utility Model Application 3-16555.
Generally, the above documents disclose a instrument panel disposed on a passenger side of an interior compartment of an automotive vehicle. An opening is provided in the instrument panel substantially in front of a passenger seat and an air bag unit mounted on a steering member are disposed in the opening. The air bag unit is installed and adjusted such that, in a vehicle collision or other emergency condition, the air bag unit is operative to inflate an air bag disposed therein such that a lid, disposed over the opening, is pushed open and the air bag quickly inflated so as to emerge from the opening and move into the vehicle interior compartment for protectively restricting the vehicle passenger.
Generally, a glove box is provided at a position in front of the passenger seat and below the opening in which the air bag is disposed. Since the airbag must be securely mounted and maintained, the glove box should not come into contact with the instrument panel opening in which the air bag unit is contained, and a cover is installed to assure separation of the glove box from the air bag unit. This tends to raise costs as well as the weight and number of parts.
Further, since air conditioning and/or ventilation ducts must also be accommodated behind a vehicle instrument panel, additional structure has also been necessary for assuring separation of vehicle ductwork and air conditioning units from the air bag unit and the glove box, such that all components may operate efficiently without interference from the other components. This additional structure has tended to raise costs, weight and complexity of instrument panel assemblies for automotive vehicles.
Thus, it has been required to provide an instrument panel assembly in which separation of components is assured with fewer parts and lower weight.